Multi-colored letterpress



June 2, 1964 J. c. RAY 3,135,196

MULTI-COLORED LETTERPRESS l Filed Sept. 6, 1962 y 5 Sheets-Sheet l June 2, 1964 Filed Sept. 6,

J. C. RAY

MULTI-CGLORED -LETTERPRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JIIlllhl mi JIMMY Y AY INVENTOR June 2, 1964 Filed sept. 6, 1962 J. C. RAY

MULTI-COLORED LETTERPRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY f@ June 2,1954 n J. C, RAY 3,135,196

MULTI-COLORED LETTERPRESS Filed Sept. 6, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 2, 1964 J. c. RAY 3,135,196

MULTIcoLoRED LETTERPRESS Filed sept. e, 1962 5 sheets-sheet 5 mma@ /2 JIMMY WAY f INVENTOR United States Patent O 3,135,196 MULTI-CLRED LETTERIRESS Jimmy C. Ray, Dailas, Tex. (1222 Cypress Drive, Richardspn, Tex.) Filed Sept. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 221,770 Claims. (Cl. 101-199) This invention relates to printing and more particularly to a multi-colored letterpress.

This invention more particularly relates to that type of letterpress having a combined ink bed and chase bed which prints against a head located above the chase. The paper stock is a roll which is indexed by feed rollers past the chase where the type will print the paper. Each time the bed is lowered the paper is indexed forward and ink rollers apply more ink to the type. The paper is stopped as the type moves upward and a cutter severs that particular portion which has been printed. A plurality of colors are printed by setting different sets of type in the chase and indexing the paper stock so that a portion of the paper is indexed over a separate set of type each cycle.

An objectvof this invention is to provide an inexpensive multi-colored letterpress.

Another object of this invention is to provide an irnproved system for moving the ink roller carriage along the bed and over the type for each cycle of the press.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanism for operating the cutter blade.

Another object is to provide an improved means for indexing the paper.

Still further, objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, compact, durable, simple, versatile, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not necessarily to the same scale, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional View of a letterpress according to this invention taken on line 1--1 of FIG. 2, the motors are not shown for the purpose of clarity.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the press.

FIG. 3 is a side View of the press with parts broken away for clarity.

FIG. 4 is atop view of the press.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail of the ink roller carriage taken on line 6-.6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a partial view showing an elevation of the end of the ink roller carriage.

FIG. 8 is atop partial view of the indexing paper rollers and cutter mechanism.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view showing the details of the indexing paper roller gear and one-way clutch.

As may be seen in the accompanying drawings and more particularly in FIGS. l and 2, the press has a frame primarily constructed of welded angle iron. Specifically the frame has bottom members 1), front uprights 12, bearing uprights 14, center uprights 16, and back uprights 18. Suitable cross-bracing 2i) is included as needed. The sides and front of the press may have a cover 22 over it as desired (FIG. 1 shows the machine Without a cover for clarity). Top angle irons 24 connect the top of uprights 12, 14, 16 and 18 along each side. The top Vangle irons 24 angle downward from the rear of the machine toward the front. Four threaded rods 26 extend upward from uprights 14 and 16. Head 30 is maintained in place by means of nuts 28 upon threaded rods ICC 26. The head 36 extends from one side of the press to the other and is adjustable by the nuts 28.

Bed 34 is connected to the frame by means of the shaft 32 which extends between the top angle irons 24. The bed 34 is an integral ink bed and chase bed. Main electric motor 36 is mounted upon the frame. It is attached to the upright members 14 and 16 along the lower portion thereof. The motor 36 drives worm shaft 38 by a V-belt and pulley which are conventional. The Worm shaft 38 is mounted by bearings 40 to uprights 14 and 16 on one side of the frame. Hand wheel 42 is mounted by a bearing to upright 12 on one side of the frame. The hand wheel 42 is connected by clutch 44 to the worm shaft 38. The clutch 44 automatically disengages when the motor 36 drives worm 46 which is attached to worm shaft 38. Otherwise the hand wheel 42 may be engaged by the clutch 44 by which the mechanism may be turned by hand for positioning. The worm 46 on the worm shaft 3S meshes with worm wheel 48 mounted upon main shaft Si), which extends from one side of the frame to the'other and which is mounted on suitable bearings. The worm 46 and worm wheel 48 are enclosed in oil pan 52 for the purpose of lubrication.

Eccentric 54 is securely attached to the main shaft 50 within the oil pan 52. It is surrounded by bearing 0r band 56 which has rib 58 along the top thereof. Plate 6i) is bolted to the rib 58. By the simple expedient of making the bolt holes slightly larger than the bolts, it is possible to obtain an adjustment for different sized types or to level chase 62 on bed 34. The plate 60 rides in notch 64 on the underside of the bed 34. Rotation of the main shaft 50 causes oscillation of the bed 34, the bed oscillating one cycle for each rotation of the shaft 50.

A crank 66 is attached to each end of the main shaft 50. A plurality of ink rollers 68 are mounted to traverse the bed 34 to apply ink to the type in the chase 62. These rollers 68 are carried within ink roller carriage 70 which are mounted with suitable rollers 72 and 74 to roll along the edges of the bed 34. The ink roller carriage 70 also carries a plurality of vibrating rollers 76 for purposes well understood in the art. The rollers 68 spread the ink along the ink bed 78 which is a part of the bed 34. lt will be noted that the ink bed 78 is separated by grooves into four separate areas. Each area will carry a different color ink. The ink is applied to the ink rollers 68 by main ink roller 86 in a manner which is well known to the art. The roller 86 is notched into four sections for different colors ink (FIG. 2). Other means` for applying ink to the ink rollers 68 and to the ink bed 78. are well known to the art and may be used as the equivalent of the main ink roller 86. Roller 8i? is driven, by electric motor 82.

A pair of carriage arms S4 are pivoted at their lower end to the back uprights 18, one carriage arm 84 on each side of the press. At the top of each carriage arm 84, short pitman 86 is a means for connecting the carriage arms to the carriage 76. The pitmans 86V are adjustable in length. A carriage pitrnan 88connects one end of each crank 66 to about mid-point of each carriage arm 84. Each revolution of the main shaft 50 will cause the carriage 70 to traverse the ink bed 78 and return. The ink rollers 63 will be over the type in the chase 62 at the time the bed 34 is in the lower position and when the bed is in the upper position printing with the type against the head 30, the roller carriage 76 will be in the retracted position asY seen in the drawings.

The frame also includes vertical` legs 90 connected to the bearing upright 14 and center upright 16 on one side of the press by beams 92. TheV paper roll shaft 94 is supported at the top of the legs 90. A strip of paper 98 extends from paper roll 96 on the shaft 94, around the paper feed roller assembly 100, through the paper guide 102, under the head 30, to the paper index roller assembly 104, and to the cutter assembly 106 where the strip 98 is severed into suitable sizes.

Slotted pitman 108 depends from the bed 34, `and is mounted for translational movement. The lower end of the slotted pitman 108 has an axially elongated slot 110 on the lower end thereof. Paper drive shaft 112 is mounted for rotation in bearings on the two bearing uprights 14. Arm 114 is attached to the shaft 112. Bearing 116 extends within the slot 110 and is attached to one end of the arm 114. Normally the bearing 116 is held at the top of the slot 110 by spring 118 which connects the arm 114 and the pitman 108. However, clockwise movement of arm 114 (as seen in FIG. 1) is limited by lower stop 120 which is mounted on the center upright 16. Upper stop 122 on the upright 16 merely keeps the arm 114 from bouncing or continuing in a counter-clockwise direction. Le. when the bed 34 reaches its lowest point and the bearing 116 is still pressed against the top of the slot 110, the end of the arm 114 will be in contact with the stop 122 but will not be exerting pressure against it. The lower stop 120 is vertically adjustable. Therefore, the amount of rotation imparted to the shaft 112 through the arm 114 will be determined by the positioning of stop 120. When the arm 114 contacts stop 120 rotation of shaft 112 ceases and further movement of the pitman 108 upward causes relative movement of the bearing 116 within the slot 110. Therefore it may be seen that a lost motion means is used for connecting the pitman 108 with the shaft 112 so that the shaft 112 is rotated responsive to only a portion of the movement of the pitman 108. As shaft 112 ultimately drives the paper 98 (as will be explained later); when the bed 34 presses the type upon the paper strip 98, the paper-moving mechanism is not in motion.

Paper drive cam 124 is attached to one end of paper drive shaft 112. The cam 124 is in the form of a straight bar or crank. Rack arm 126 is mounted on the frame for vertical reciprocation. It carries step 128 having a plurality of horizontally aligned holes therein. Cam follower 130 is mounted into one of the plurailty of holes. Spring 132 presses the cam follower 130 against the cam 124. The spring 132 extends from the arm 126 to the frame. Rack 134 is attached to the top of the rack arm 126. Gear 136 of the index roller assembly 104 is meshed with the rack 134. Therefore it may be seen that the rotational movement of the shaft 112 causes a rotational movement of the gear 136.

The index roller assembly 104 includes roller 138 and roller 140 mounted for rotation on a suitable portion of the frame. The gear 136 is mounted for rotation upon shaft 142 of the roller 138. The gear 136 is connected to the roller 138 by a one-way clutch which includes ratchet wheel 144 attached to the shaft 142 and a plurality of dogs 146 attached to the gear. As the rack 134 is forced upward by the action of the cam 124 (which corresponds to the downward movement of the bed 34), the roller 138 will be rotated. Inasmuch as the roller 140 is in frictional contact with the roller 138 through the medium of the strip of paper 98, the paper will be advanced as the rack 134 moves upward. The rollers 138 and 140 will not rotate on the upstroke of bed 34 because of the setting of the dogs 146. The one-way clutch described connecting gear 136 with the roller 138 is merely illustrative and other types of one-way clutch might be equally suitable for this purpose. f

The advancing of the paper does not begin until after the initial movement of the bed 34 downward, removing the type in the chase 62 from contact with the paper 98. This initial lost motion is obtained before the topl of slot 110 of the slotted pitman 108 makes contact with bearing 116. The rack 134 will continue to move until the bed 34 reaches its bottom position. Therefore the total movement of the paper 98 is regulated by the placetaf ' 4 ment of the stop 120. The stop may be varied in form from that shown in the drawing so a very line adjustment may be made to adjust the movement of the paper 98 to any fractional movement desired.

Large adjustment of the movement of the paper is obtained by the positioning of cam follower in one of the holes in step 128. The further that the cam follower is to the right (as seen in FIG. 1), the greater the movement of the rack 134 and therefore the greater the movement of the paper 98.

An identical cam to cam 124 is attached to the other end of paper drive shaft 112. It operates a cam follower located upon a rack arm to rotate the rollers of feed roller assembly 100 in like manner to the operation of the index roll assembly 104. The only difference being that rack 148 for the feed roller assembly 100 is below the cam rather than above the cam. However, the feed roller assembly 100 is also driven on the upward movement of the rack 148. The rack arm carrying rack 148 carries a step which is identical to step 128 so that the cam followers may be placed in identical places on both parts so that the feed roller assembly 100 feeds exactly the same amount of paper as the index roller assembly 104 moves. If one consistently moves a larger amount of paper than the other, the press would not operate properly.

Cutter drive cam 150 is attached to the main shaft 50 just inboard of the attachment of one of the cranks 66. Cutter arm 152 is mounted on the frame for vertical reciprocation and it is reciprocated by cam follower 154 working against the cam 150. Elbow 156 is attached to the top of the arm 152 and extends outward from the frame of the press. Cutter blade 158 is mounted for vertical reciprocation within tracks 160 of cutter assembly 106 which is attached to the frame of the press. The blade 158 is attached to the elbow 156 by single stud 162 which passes through a hole in the blade 158 and into the elbow 156. If it is desired to remove the blade 158 for sharpening, all that is necessary is to remove the one stud 162 allowing the blade 158 to drop down out of the tracks 160. The cutter blade 158 Works against shear bar 164 mounted stationarily between the tracks 160.

The cam 150 is timed so that the blade 158 is rising on the cutting stroke at the same time the bed 34 is rising. It is preferred that the cutter 158 sever the printed paper 98 just before the bed 34 reaches the uppermost position so that it is assured that there is no movement of the paper 98 because of the action of the blade 158. It is necessary that the paper 98 be cut while the paper is not being indexed by index roller assembly 104. The paper 98 is not being moved during the entire upstroke of the bed 34 and during the first portion of the downstroke of the bed 34. Stated otherwise, the only time the paper 98 is being indexed is during the latter portion of the downstroke of bed 34.

It will be apparent that the embodiment shown is only exemplary and that various modifications can be made 1n construction, materials, and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

A I claim as my invention:

1. In a letterpress having (a) a frame,

(b) a bed pivoted to the frame,

(c) a main shaft mounted for rotation on the frame, (d) means for rotating the main shaft,

(e) means for oscillating the bed responsive to rotation of the main shaft, and (i) an ink roller carriage mounted for reciprocation along the bed;

the improved paper system comprising: (g) means on the frame for mounting a roll of paper thereon, (h) a pitman depending from the bed,

(i) a pair of indexing paper rollers mounted for rotation on the frame,

(j) an arm mounted on the frame for rotating the paper rollers,

(k) stop means on the frame for limiting the movement transmitted to the arm,

(l) lost motion means interconnecting the arm and pitman for moving the arm responsive to a portion of the movement of the pitman;

so that the rollers are rotated during a portion of a cycle of oscillation of the bed.

2. In a letterpress having (a) a frame,

(b) a bed pivoted to the frame,

(c) a main shaft mounted for rotation on the frame,

(d) means for rotating the main shaft,

(e) means for oscillating the bed responsive to rotation of the main shaft, and

(f) an ink roller carriage mounted for reciprocation along the bed;

the improved paper system comprising:

(g) a paper roll shaft mounted on the frame for mounting a roll of paper thereon,

(h) a paper drive shaft mounted for rotation on the frame,

(i) a slotted pitman depending from the hed,

(j) the slotted pitman having an axially elongated slot at the lower end thereof,

` (k) an arm rigidly attached to the paper drive shaft,

(l) a bearing on one end of the arm in the slot,

(m) means for biasing the bearing upward,

(n) stop means on the frame for limiting the movement of the arm,

(o) a rack arm mounted for reciprocation on the frame,

(p) means for reciprocating the rack arm responsive to movement of the paper drive shaft,

(q) indexing paper rollers mounted for rotation on the frame,

(r) a rack on the rack arm,

(s) a gear on one of the paper rollers meshed with the rack, and

(t) a one-way clutch interconnecting the gear and the paper roller to which it is mounted; so that the rollers are rotated during a part of a cycle of oscillation of the bed. t

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein the means for reciprocating the rack arm responsive to the movement of the paper drive shaft includes:

(u) a cam on the paper drive shaft,

(v) a plurality of holes in the rack arm,

(w) a bearing mounted in one of said holes,

(x) said bearing resting against said cam, and

(y) means for biasing the bearing against said cam.

4. A letterpress comprising:

(a) a frame,

(b) an integral ink-chase bed pivoted to the frame,

(c) a main shaft mounted for rotation on the frame,

(d) means for rotating the main shaft,

(e) an eccentric on the main shaft,

(f) a plate interconnecting the eccentric and bed for oscillating the bed;

(g) an ink roller carriage mounted for reciprocation along the bed, i

(h) an arm pivoted to the frame, k

(i) a crank mounted on the main shaft,

(j) a pitman interconnecting the crank and arm,

(k) means connecting the arm to the carriage so that the carriage reciprocates for each oscillation of the bed;

(l) a paper roll shaft mounted on the frame for mounting a roll of paper thereon,

(in) a paper drive shaft mounted for rotation on the frame,

(n) a slotted pitman depending from the bed,

(o) the slotted pitman having an axially elongated slot at the lower end thereof,

(p) an arm rigidly attached to the paper drive shaft,

(q) a bearing on one end of the arm in the slot,

(r) a means for biasing the bearing upward,

(s) a stop means on the frame for limiting the move ment of the arm,

(t) a cam rigidly attached to the paper drive shaft,

(u) a rack arm mounted for reciprocation on the frame,

(v) means for reciprocating the rack arm responsive to movement of the cam,

(w) indexing paper rollers mounted for rotation on the frame,

(x) a rack on the rack arm,

(y) Va gear on one of the paper rollers meshed with the rack,

(z) a one-way clutch interconnecting the gear and paper roller to which it is mounted;

(aa) a cutter drive cam on the main shaft,

(ab) a cutter arm mounted for reciprocation on the frame,

(ac) means for reciprocating the cutter arm responsive to rotation of the cutter drive cam,

(ad) a cutter blade, and

(ae) means connecting the cutter blade to the cutter arm; so arranged and timed so that the paper drive mechanism is inactive due to the stops on the frame and slot in the slotted pitman at the time the bed moves upward and at the time the cutter blade moves upward to cut the completed printed material.

5. In a letterpress having (a) a frame,

(b) a bed pivoted to the frame, Y

(c) a main shaft mounted for rotation on the frame,

(d) means for rotating the main shaft,

(e) means for voscillating the bed responsive to rotation of the main shaft, and

(f) an ink roller carriage mounted for reciprocation along the bed;

the improved paper system comprising in combination:

(g) means for mounting a roll of paper to the frame,

(h) a pair of indexing paper rollers mounted for rotation to the frame, and

(i) lost motion means interconnecting the bed and the rollers for rotating the rollers responsive to a portion of the oscillating movement of the bed,

said lost motion means including:

(j) an element mounted for translational movement,

(k) said element havingan elongated slot therein,

(l) a bearing in said slot,

(m) a spring for urging said bearing against one end of said slot, and

(n) a stop means mounted on said frame for limiting the movement of the bearing so that at times the bearing moves relative to the slot.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A LETTERPRESS HAVING (A) A FRAME, (B) A BED PIVOTED TO THE FRAME, (C) A MAIN SHAFT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON THE FRAME, (D) MEANS FOR ROTATING THE MAIN SHAFT, (E) MEANS FOR OSCILLATING THE BED RESPONSIVE TO ROTATION OF THE MAIN SHAFT, AND (F) AN INK ROLLER CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION ALONG THE BED; THE IMPROVED PAPER SYSTEM COMPRISING: (G) MEANS ON THE FRAME FOR MOUNTING A ROLL OF PAPER THEREON, (H) A PITMAN DEPENDING FROM THE BED, (I) A PAIR OF INDEXING PAPER ROLLERS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON THE FRAME, 